Twelve-year-old Jacob Calloway from Austin, Texas took to social media this week to ask his community for a special favor.
Last Thursday, Jacob’s four-legged best friend and therapy dog named Munsta Boi got out of his family’s yard. Not willing to give up looking, Jacob tearfully asked his friends, neighbors, and the entire Austin community to help him bring Munsta home. It took almost a week and over 1,400 shares on social media, but Austin came through for Jacob in the best way.
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Jacob has autism, and Munsta plays a special role in his life. As a therapy dog, Munsta is Jacob’s constant companion. They sleep in the same bed, and Jacob relies on his dog for comfort and security. When Jacob started having seizures, Munsta was even trained to alert the rest of the family if Jacob started moving around too much in his sleep. The dog is an irreplaceable part of the family, and the Calloways did everything they could to get him back.
Jacob’s parents, Tara and Jacob, launched an all-out effort to reunite their son with his best friend. They took to Facebook on Monday and posted their plea. They offered a $500 reward for anyone with information that could lead to finding Munsta. As an extra incentive, they also offered to give away their car if it meant getting their dog back safely. A video of Jacob’s emotional appeal touched people’s hearts and bolstered the search effort throughout the city.
Since the original post, the Austin community has jumped into action to help find Munsta. The post was shared over 1,400 times on Facebook, and local news agencies aired the family’s story on the evening news. Everyone helped by spreading the word and searching the area for the missing dog. Tara told KXAN,
“Our dog sleeps beside him [Jacob] every night. It is my son’s routine and anyone that knows a kid with autism, they are all about routine. This has turned my son’s world upside down.”
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After posting fliers, appearing on the news, and spreading the word through social media, the Calloways received the best phone call on Wednesday. Munsta had been spotted by people in a nearby area, and thanks to the continued exposure from Facebook, an effort was made to track him down.
Munsta was found wandering on his own, and Tara and her husband were overjoyed to tell their son the long search was finally over. Munsta and Jacob had a heartwarming reunion. Tara said,
“We have our baby back…Jacob is so happy. I live in the most amazing city ever. Thank you everyone for all your help. I haven’t seen Jacob this happy in almost a week!”
Featured image via Facebook/Jacob N Tara Calloway
h/t: KXAN
